The subject matter set forth herein relates generally to cable assemblies and probe assemblies that use wires to communicate signals to and/or from a device.
The medical industry may use cable assemblies to communicate data to and/or from a probe or other medical device. There is a general market demand to reduce at least one of the size, weight, and/or cost of the cable assemblies. It is also often desirable to improve the ergonomics of the medical device or assembly so that the medical device is easier to handle. For example, an ultrasound probe assembly uses a cable assembly to interconnect an ultrasound device (or the ultrasound probe) to a control system or device. High-end medical ultrasound imaging utilizes tens and hundreds of piezo-electric transducer elements to achieve a quality image that can be helpful for diagnosing a condition of the patient and/or assessing the condition of the patient. The transducer elements require individual pathways or conductors to the control system. Conventional ultrasound probe assemblies may bundle the conductors in a concentric configuration with the conductors being wrapped around one axis of the cable assembly.
If the cables are heavy and/or inflexible, the operator may experience an excessive amount of strain on the wrist, forearm, or elbow. In order to maintain a practical size of the cable assembly and not to impose excessive stress on the sonographer, the conductors are small coaxial conductors, which may be referred to as micro-coaxial conductors. Examples of such micro-coaxial conductors include 42 AWG coaxial conductors or smaller. The micro-coaxial conductors transmit signals between the probe and the control system.
It can be challenging, however, to fit multiple signal lines, such as 256 separate micro-coaxial conductors, into a cable assembly while keeping the cable assembly small enough so that the cable assembly is practical. It can also be costly to produce the micro-coaxial conductors (or the cable assemblies that include such conductors) because of the multiple processes involved.